COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With the opening games of the regular
season just over a week away, the Tennessee Tech basketball teams
have entered their final week of preparations for the 2012-13
season.

For first-year coach Jim Davis’ squad, the week ahead will
include an exhibition game Monday night against Lee University,
with tipoff in Eblen Center at 7 p.m.

The regular season for both teams gets underway on Saturday, Nov.
10, with a doubleheader. Following the Golden Eagle final home
football game in the afternoon, the Tech women will host Tennessee
Wesleyan at 6 p.m. while the Golden Eagle men entertain
Crowley’s Ridge at 8 p.m.

Season tickets are on sale at the Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen
Center or by calling (931) 372-3940. Tickets may also be purchased
online at TTUsports.com.

The teams have been going through very spirited workouts for
weeks, highlighted last week by the first Purple Palooza, a free
event that drew more than 1,200 fans for their first look at the
two squads. The night featured intrasquad scrimmages for each team,
a 3-point shooting contest and a slam dunk contest.

“We had a great turnout for the first time,” Payne
said. “I hope we can both have great seasons, men and women,
and next year we can double this crowd. I know there’s a lot
of people that support Tennessee Tech in our area, and we
appreciate that support and growing that support. It was a
fantastic evening.”

Davis concurred, “This was outstanding. It was a fun evening
for our team, and the guys team looked like they were having fun
too. It was a fun time, and I think the young ladies got a feel for
what Tennessee Tech and the Upper Cumberland is all about in terms
of fan support.”

In the highlight of the night, a tie was declared in the slam dunk
contest after freshman Anthony Morse completed a through-the-legs
slam, and sophomore Javon McKay leaped over 7-foot freshman Eric
Weisenbach for his dunk.

With the fun of Purple Palooza behind them, both teams are gearing
up to face other teams.

“Right now I’m looking forward to the first
game,” Davis said. “Its an old adage in the coaching
business that you take it one game at a time, and right now
I’m looking forward to the first game. After that, I’ll
be looking forward to the second game.”

Payne said the mission for his team over the final week of
preparation to get healthy and continue to mesh his personnel on a
roster with so many newcomers.

"We've got a lot to accomplish still,” Payne said.
“We're not even close right now to being ready with our youth
and the injuries we've had. It's an ongoing process any year, but
especially this year.

“We're trying to be really good at our first two steps in
order to get to our third step,” Payne added. “Maybe in
some other years at this time we'd already be at level three or
four, but we're not this year. I don't know that we will be when we
start our first game, but that has been because of our age and the
injuries we've sustained. It has delayed the development a bit, but
it' has also given us a chance to get some young guys some
meaningful reps in practice."